Conventional work, like a 9-5 job emphasis being busy and working all yours hours. Whilst in truth we most likely want to focus on productivity instead of activity.
This might be because it’s one of the easiest metrics to check and collect and thus become a core metric to see how an employee is doing, while it might not be the most meaningful metric.
Reference
Ferriss, Timothy. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. Expanded and Updated ed., 1st revised ed, Crown Publishers, 2009.
Highlights or timestamps
But remember: most workplaces encourage activity, not productivity, which means that no matter how little time it takes you to complete your work, you’ll always have to put in 40 hours per week.
— ^7bb043 from The 4-Hour Workweek
Most employees have to work for eight hours, and so, instead of focusing on productivity, they emphasize activity.
— ^ad8574 from The 4-Hour Workweek